THE DR. WILLIS HOUSE

The Dr. Willis House

This home was originally a one story cape built by a Mr. Dixon (now #144 Old Road, Eliot, Maine). The old bricks in the chimney are dated 1727.  In the mid-1600’s William Hawthorne, an ancestor of the famous Nathaniel Hawthorne owned all of these lands known as the Baylands. In 1775, the property was sold to John Fogg, son of James Fogg.  John’s son, John Fogg Jr. added a story and did alterations to the structure in 1815. Again in 1870, it was remodeled by Horace Parker who married the sister of Paulina Willis, Abigail Leighton Fogg, who upon the death of John L.M. Willis’ mother, raised John L.M. Willis.  In later years when Dr. John L.M. Willis was the owner of the property, he conducted alterations to the property and spent the rest of his life living here.

Next to the Willis Farm (on the northerly side), was the Daniel Fogg place.  This was built around 1700 and was a grocery store of sorts and a liquor shop, common in those days, and kept by a Mr. Joseph Hammond.  It was a one story unit with a “L” shaped structure on it (now #136 Old Road). Later in years, this house became the home of Albert Eliot Libbey and Elizabeth Gail (Willis) Libbey, daughter of Dr. John L.M. Willis.